東亞日報
- Formal protest against Britain at the League of Nations
- British Mediterranean Fleet
- British warship fired upon again
China’s delegate asks the League of Nations to address the Wanxian bombardment, alleging heavy losses of life and property. Nearby reports describe destroyers leaving Malta for China and the Scarab exchanging fire with troops below Shashi.
Partial reading: the heading, subtitle and first body paragraph of the Chinese protest over Wanxian, followed by two complete briefs on the Mediterranean fleet and the Scarab. The British reply, other articles, essays and advertisements are outside this selection.
Translation
Formal protest against Britain at the League of Nations
China’s representative protests over the Wanxian incident
China’s representative Chu Chao-hsin, newly admitted to the Council of the League of Nations, formally protested in the Assembly against the British fleet’s recent bombardment of Wanxian in China. He claimed that it had caused the loss of at least 1,000 houses and at least 1,000 lives, and asked the League to consider the matter and press for a settlement. Chu further stated that during July and August British merchant ships had steamed up the Yangtze at full power, sinking Chinese vessels and drowning at least 100 Chinese people without concern; when the Chinese side lodged a protest, British warships had bombarded villages, causing several hundred deaths.
British Mediterranean Fleet
Part of the fleet hurriedly departs for China
The 9 destroyers of the British Mediterranean Fleet’s 2nd division, at anchor off Malta in the Mediterranean, have received orders to reinforce the Far Eastern fleet urgently and have departed for China. The division had previously been in Greece, according to the report. (London, dispatched on the 23rd.)
British warship fired upon again
Downstream from Shashi
It is reported that at a point 25 miles downstream from Shashi, the British warship Scarab again came under rifle fire from northern warlord troops. She immediately returned fire with machine guns and 3-inch guns, narrowly avoiding deaths or injuries among her crew. (Shanghai, dispatched on the 24th.)
Context
Why Wanxian became an international dispute
The protest concerned a clash in which commercial shipping, military custody and naval force had become entangled. In his parliamentary account on September 28, two days after this issue, Prime Minister Baldwin said General Yang Sen had seized two British company steamers and detained their officers after alleging that another company vessel had sunk a troop boat. Britain presented its armed intervention as a rescue. The Chinese delegate’s emphasis here falls on destroyed homes and civilian deaths. Those competing accounts explain why responsibility for the bombardment mattered as much as the immediate release of ships and personnel.
Who could control navigation on the Yangtze?
The Scarab report and the dispatch of reinforcements belong to a wider conflict over movement along China’s rivers. On September 21, American chargé Ferdinand Mayer described Chinese rules restricting navigation hours and requiring ships to stop for searches, backed by the threat of artillery fire. Commercial operators were prepared to comply, while American officials insisted on preserving freedom of action for their warships. Mayer also warned that escorting merchantmen past guns on the riverbank would be difficult. Naval protection could therefore turn an argument over navigation into an exchange of fire, the danger illustrated by the short report from Shashi.
What could an appeal to the League achieve?
The League offered China a public diplomatic forum in which to challenge British conduct. Article 11 of its Covenant allowed members to raise circumstances threatening international peace or relations between states. The Assembly represented every member, and its public meetings gave complaints an audience beyond bilateral negotiations. Yet the League depended heavily on agreement among governments: unanimity was the general rule, and Britain itself held a permanent Council seat. The demand to examine the Wanxian incident and hasten a settlement thus sought international pressure within an institution whose ability to act rested on cooperation among the powers involved.
Original
國際聯盟에서 對英正式抗議
國際聯盟에서 對英正式抗議
萬縣事件으로中代表가
國際聯盟理事會에新加入을許可한中國代表朱兆莘氏는曩者中國萬縣에서英艦隊가砲擊을加한事件에對하야聯盟總會席上에서正式으로抗議하되此로因하야一千以上의家屋과一千以上의人이死亡하엿다고稱하고聯盟이此를考慮하야此解決을促하기를要求하엿스며朱兆莘氏는更히去七、八兩月中英商船은全勢力으로楊子江을溯航하야中國船隻을沈沒식히고百名以上의中國人을溺死식히고도不關하엿슴으로中國側이此에抗議를提出하자英艦은村落을砲擊하야數百餘의死者를出하엿다고說하엿다더라
英國地中海艦隊
英國地中海艦隊
一部、急據中國에向發
地中海「마르타」島에碇泊中인英吉利地中海艦隊第二支隊의驅逐艦九隻은至急히東洋艦隊에應援하라는命令을受하고中國에向하야出發하엿는데同支隊는從來希臘에잇는것이라더라（倫敦廿三日發）
英艦又復被射
英艦又復被射
沙市下流에서
沙市의下流二十五哩의地點에서又復英國軍艦「스카라부」號가北閥兵에게小銃射擊을受하엿는데同艦은卽時機關銃及三吋砲로써此에應酬하야겨우乘員의死傷을免하엿다더라（上海廿四日發）